Process for desiccating.



L. C. MERRELL. PROCESS FOR DESIGGA'TING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1912. 1,082,469, Patented 1360.23, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. c. MERRELL. PROCESS FOR. DESIGGAT ING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23, 1912.

1,082,469. Patented Dc. 23, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. 0. MBRRELL. rnocsss FOB. nss'mcnme. APPLIOATLON FILED APR. 23, 1012.13 93 9,- Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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c. MERRELLL PROCESS FOR DESIOGATING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 19!

Patentd Dec. 23, 913.

' 4 sums-sum 4.

' To all whom it may concern -UNITED STATES PATENT anion.

LEWIS G. MERRELL, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'lG MERRELL-OULECOMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATIQON OF NEW YORK.

success For. nnsrc'carrnc.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.23,1913.

Serial No. 624,186. Divided and this application filed April 23,

1912. Serial No. 692,659.

Be it known that I, LEWIS G. Mnnnnpn, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, 1n the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Processes for Desiceating, of which the following, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, andexact descriptiom I This invention relates to improvements in a processof separating the moisture from the constituent solids of liquids, andis more particularly related to the process cove by Letters Patent ofthe United States 0. 860,929, granted jointly to myself, Irving 5.Merrell and William B. Gore, and dated July 23,1907, and is a divisionof apphca: tion filed April 29, 1911, No. 624,186.

Briefly stated, the process of the patent above mentioned contemplatesthe treatment of liquids and semi-liquids, such as milk, by firstconcentrating the sameto deprive the substances of a. large percentageof the moisture contained therein. The mass so concentrated is thenconverted into a line spray, and in this form it is subjected to adesicouting agent, such as a current of dry air or gas, the temperatureof which may be regulated, whereby to extract from the concentrated masssubstantially all the remaining liquid constituents. During thetreatment of the sprayed mass by theair or gas, the latter takes up themoisture remaining after concentration, leaving the solid constituentsin the form of a dry powder, and this powder is collected in a suitablespace awaytrom the air orgas current, the air or gas being dischargedseparately from the dry powder.

The process of the patent aforesaid may be termed a continuous process,that is to say, the liquid or semi-liquid is treated while in transit,and iniits action upon the liquid or semi-liquid the desiccating agentis also in transit. Hence, neither the liquid or semiliquid nor thedesiccating agent remains for any appreciable time 1n the desiccatingchamber, and the separation of the moisture remaining takes place whilethe sprayed mass and the desiccating agent are in transit.

The present invention, as distinguished from the process abovedescribed,.contemplates a process wherein the desiccating agent, as abody .o fair, is admitted to the desiccat-ing chamber, and when thedesired chamber.

then introduced to the desiccating chamberquantity has been sointroduced the supply is out off and the agent confined in said Thesubstance to be treated is until the proper quantity, proportioned tothe amount of the confined desiccatin agent, has entered the chamber,whereupon e flow of the substance is stopped. Evaporation takes place,the solid constituents being deprived of their moisture and becomingreduced to the condition of a fine dry dust. The moisture-laden air isthen disc arged into a dust collector wherein separation of ,the air andthe dry solids is effected.

As a subordinate feature of the present invention, the same alsocontemplates a process of the character recited wherein the flow of thedesiccating agent and substance to be treated, at periodic stages, iscut oli and deflected successively to a plurality of desiccat-ingchambers arranged in battery form,

and timed in proper relation to each other to be charged and discharged,thereby increasing materially the output obtained by i the practice ofthe process.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, of anovel apparatus which is designed to carry into eiiect theherein-described process. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof onthe line 2-2, Fig.

1, certain portions of the apparatus appearsteps of the process.

the herein-described process is not limited to any particular form ortype of apparatus, and hence the apparatus illustrated in theaccompanying drawings is merely indicative of one type which may beemployed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 are a pair of desiccating chambers,which are arranged in battery form, any number of these chambers beingemployed, and each being .provided with an inlet pipe 3 and an outletpipe 4. The inlet pipes 3 are'connected to a supply pipe 5, which supplypipe is, in

1 turn, connected with a suitable pressure de vice 6. As illustrated inthe drawings, the pressure device is in the form of a rotary blower, butany device designed for moving air may be substituted therefor. At thejuncture of the inlet pipes 3 with the supply pipe 5 is arranged aninlet valve 7. This ing in elevation. Figs. 3. to 6, inclusive, arediagrammatlc views illustrative of certain valve maybe of any suitableconstruction, to the three-way valve 15, which has now but it isillustrated as a pivoted gate, and been moved to the position shown inFig. 4:, by reason of its location at the point noted and this resultsin the flow of the liquid to it is obvious that said valve will controlconthe spraying device 13 of the chamber 1.

5 nection between the inlet pipes 3 and the A ter a suitable amount ofliquid has en- 70 supply pipe 5. tered saidchamber 1 the three -wayvalve 15- he outlet pipes 4 communicate with a is again turned toneutral position, as illusdischarge pipe 8, the discharge pipe comtratedin Fig. 5, and thereby cuts off the municating with a dust collector 9.In the liquid supply from the chamber 1. At the m illustiaition of'thelatter herein it is shown same time the outlet valve is moved to 75merely, in conventional form. the posit gate, and said valve controlsboth of the outmunication between the outlet pipe 40f the so chamber 2and said discharge pipe. In this position of the parts however, theinlet valve 7 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 5, cutting oficommunication between the supply pipe 5 and the inlet pipe 3 of the 85chamber 1, and establishing communication between said pipe 5 and theinlet pipe 3 of the chamber 2. Air under pressure now enters the chamber2, .and this air is heated trol of the inlet pi )es 3 by the valve 7.

Each of the desiccating chambers 1 and 2 has a jacket 11, and located insaid jacket is a heating coil 12, preferably a steam pipe, whereby thetemperature of the contents of the desiccating chamber may be raised, aswill be presently described. Each of the desiccating chambers l and 2 isalso pro- Vided with a spraying device 13 for the introduction of the sustance to be treated.

duced. When the desired quantity of air has been admitted to the chamber2 the inlet valve 15 having communication with a in Fig. 6, and thechamber 1 now being in communication with the supply pipe 5 and thedischarge pipe 8, air will enter said a source of liquid supply 19, suchas a tank. chamber 1 from the blower to drive out the The pipe 18 ispreferably valved,-as at 20, to control the supply of the liquid to thepump from the tank 19. I

The inlet valve 7, the outlet valve 10, and the three-way valve 15 areactuated by suit- 40 able cams 21 carried by a driving shaft 22, andconnected with said valves through the medium of: links 23, and saidcams 21 are the meantime, and as soon as the inlet valve 105 has closedto the position illustrated in Fig. 6, thereby confining the air withinthe chamber 2, the three-way valve 15 is turned in order to allow theliquid to be sprayed into said chamber 2. A suitable amount of 110 aliquid being so introduced, the three-way valve 15 is turned to cut offthe liquid supply to the chamber 2, whereupon the inlet valve 7 and theoutlet valve 10 are properly actuated to permlt the air from the blower115 to be forced into the chamber 2, and thereby drive out themoisture-laden air into the dust collector 9, in the manner described inconnection with chamber 1, thus separating the moisturewhic'h has beentaken up by 1 the air in the chamber 2 from the solid con- 1 stituents,and allowing the latter which, as will be observed, are now in the formof a dry powder, to be precipitated in the dust collector. 125

The dust collector 9 has a discharge spout 24 controlled by a suitablegate 25,. through the medium of which the powder collected thereby maybe discharged therefrom, and

lation to each other.

the outlet pipe 4 leading from the chamber 1, and at the same time theinlet valve 7 is actuated to open the inlet pipe 3 of said chamber 1toconnection with the supply pipe 5. This causes the air from the blower6 to enter the chamber 1 under pressure. During the positioning of thevalves 7 and 10 in the manner referred to the three-way valve isneutral, the positions of the-parts just described being illustrated inFig. 3.

The inlet valve 7 is now closed to cut oft said chamber. The pump 17having been started liquid is forced from the tank 19 by the steam coilsof said chamber, as the air 9 val ge is swung to the positionillustrated moisture-laden air from the chamber 1 and each of thechambers land 2 is also pro- I which may be precipitated in said tankstobe readily removed therefrom.

The illustrated dust collector 9, has its cylindrical wall 28 formed offoraminous material, such as textile fabric, which permits the.moisture-laden air to pass readily therethrough but prevents passage ofthe powder.

While capable of wide range of application, the resent invention isparticularly designed or desiccating unstable complex organic liquidshaving ahigh moisture-content, such as milk, eggs, etc.

It will be noted that the liquid is always sprayed into a confined bodyof air, and that such air is quiescent except for the eddies caused bythe incoming spray; and that when the air is in movement while beingintroduced into each desiccatin chamber, and. while being forced outthere rom, no liquid is sprayed into the current of air.

I claim l. The process of desiccating organic liquids containing solids,which consists in introducing the liquid in finely-divided conditioninto a zone wherein a moisture absorbent is present, stopping the flowof the liquid whereby to desiccate the solids, andthen effecting aseparation of the moistureladen absorbent from the desiccated product.

2. The process of desiccating organic liquids containing solids, whichconsists in confining a moisture absorbent in a closed chamber, bringingthe liquid in a finelydivided condition into intimate contact with saidmoisture absorbent while so confined, stopping the flow of the liquidand confining the same within said chamber whereby to .desiccate thesolids, and then effecting a separation of the moisture-laden absorbentfrom the desiccated product.

3. The proces. of desiccating organi'c liquids containing. solids, whichconsists in confining a body oi'qair within a chamber, heating the airto eitpand the same, introducing the liquid in finely-divided conditioninto said chamber to bring the same into intimate contact with the airconfined therein, whereby to desiccate the solids, and then effecting aseparation of the moisture-laden air from the desiccated product.

4. The process of desiccating organic liquids containing solids, whichconsists in confining a body of air within a closed chamber, sprayingthe liquid into the closed chamber to bring the same intointimatecontact with the air contained therein,

whereby to desiccate the solids, and then effecting a separation of themoisture-laden air from the desiccated product.

5. The process of desiccating organic liquids containing solids, whichconsists in spraying the liquid into a closed chamber cate the solids,dischargin the moistureladen air into a dust collector after thespraying has ceased, and then separating the moisture-laden air from thedesiccated product.

6. The process of desicc'ating organic liquids containing solids, whichconsists in spraying the liquid into a body of moistureabsorbing airconfinedv within a chamber, and then discharging the moisture-laden airseparate from the desiccated product.

7. The process of desiccating organic liquids containing solids,spraying the liquid into a body. of moistureabsorbing air within achamber, and then discharging the moisture-laden air separate from thedesiccated product after the sprayfn has ceased. g 8. The process ofdesiccating organic iquids containing solids, which consists inproducing a current of air through a chamber, cutting 015: the source ofair supply and confining the air within the chamber, spraying the liquidinto the confined air within the chamber to desiccate the solids, andthen efi'ecting separation of the air from the solids. i

9. The process of desiccating organic liquids containing solids, whichconsists in passing a current of air through a chamber, cutting ofi theflow of the air and confining the latter in the chamber, raising thetemperature of the air while so confined, spraying the liquid into theconfined air within the chamber to desiccate the solids, and thenseparating the air from the solids.

10. In .the art of desiccating organic liquids containing solids, thesteps which consist in establishing the flow of a moisture-absorbentagent under pressure, deflecting the flow of said agent into closedchamfrom.

my hand on this 19th day of April 1912.

' LEWIS c, MERRELL.

Witnesses:

M. D. CLARK, W. B. CHnRRY.

containing moisture-absorbing air to desicwhich consists in In witnesswhereof I have hereunto set here in regular succession and confining the

